In the April 19th edition, there was a letter from Joanna Livingstone regarding the March 29th vote to block legislation that would strip billions of dollars in tax breaks for the biggest U.S. oil companies. It was blocked by all Republican senators save Olympia Snowe of Maine. All Democrats voted to stop the tax breaks.

This behavior is hardly shocking. As Ms. Livingstone stated, anyone not duped or downright disingenuous must be blind to these repeated acts.

It will be interesting to see how Keystone XL pipeline will be painted as a benefit to the American people when it in fact is just one more giveaway to big oil. In fact, XL is nothing but a risky viaduct to bring dirty "sands" oil from Alberta, Canada, to Port Arthur, Texas, where it is refined, sold and shipped overseas.

Americans get no relief at the pump, but do get the inevitable oil spills across our country while big oil continues to reap record profits and is incredulously still being subsidized by the American taxpayers. What's wrong with this picture?